As much as I want to make a rainbow colored cake like the original picture above, I thought a red, white and blue cake would be most suited for this time of year.

Really, it was so easy, I will be doing this again!

Ingredients:

- Brownie Recipe (made from a box or from scratch)

- Cheesecake Recipe (your favorite New York Style)

- Food Coloring (any and all colors you wish to add to your cake)

Ok... I realize that you may not have a favorite cheesecake recipe. And if you don't, you are likely (like me) one who usually makes brownies from a box.

This is what I used for my "Cheesecake Recipe"...

- 16oz of cream cheese, at room temperature

- 3 large eggs

- 1/2 sugar

- 1 Tbsp vanilla

- 1/4 cup sour cream

Notes: I liked this cheesecake recipe because it wasn't so sweet... so it went nicely with the brownie layer which was quite sweet. It was also very, very creamy. If you wanted a more firm cheesecake layer, you would need to add another egg. However, I thought this turned out quite nice.

Directions:

1) Prepare the brownie layer!

Preheat your oven according to your brownie recipe instructions. Grease your pan! I used a spring form pan, but if you don't have one, you could really use any dish you'd normally bake in.

Bake your brownies to your liking. When they are done, set them aside to cool and begin working on your cheesecake layer!

Now... I was making this for my husband, who is oddly appalled by gooey, messy brownies. I made sure I baked them until they were nice and firm. I would have much preferred a brownie layer that was slightly under-cooked. The choice is up to you.

Remember, however, you will be baking this once again with the cheesecake layer, so you don't want to overdo it here!

2) Prepare your cheesecake layer!

Follow the instructions for preparing your favorite cheesecake. If you are using my recipe above, follow these...

- Mix your cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Make sure you scrape the sides of your bowl often.

- Add your eggs, mixing well after each.

- Add the sour cream, and mix until well blended. Again, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Once mixed, separate the cheesecake batter into as many bowls as you wish to have colors for your cake. I chose red, white and blue, so I needed two extra bowls.

3) Add some color!
Add food coloring to each bowl of cheesecake batter until you get a color you are happy with. You can buy cake decorating colors that are more concentrated than the typical food coloring you would buy at the grocery store. These might be best if you want to have really dark colors. I used almost half a bottle of red ad blue to get the colors I did for this cake.

And here is my colored cheesecake batter...

At this point, you may want to preheat your oven according to your cheesecake baking instructions. If you are following my instructions, preheat to 325F.

Next, drop, drizzle, or pour your cheesecake batter over your brownies. I did three rounds of each color, so I got a nice layering of colors. The colors will pretty much stay where you drop them, so keep this in mind when you are finishing up... what you see is what you'll get! :)

I had debated running a toothpick through to swirl the colors, but opted not to this time. However, it was VERY tempting. I think that would have given a very cool effect.. and because I used only red and blue, the worst I'd end up with was purple, right? :) Next cake!

And here is my cheesecake, ready for the oven...

Place your cheesecake in the oven and bake until it is set.

If you are following my cheesecake recipe, bake for 35 minutes at 325F.

If you are using your own cheesecake recipe, you may need to go with a different temp or cook time, so refer to your recipe instructions.

When the cake is set, remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Place the cooled cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Then, enjoy, of course!!!

The original instructions had suggested taking care in the cutting of your cake to get a nice presentation. Use a clean knife and cut down into each slice rather than running your knife back and forth, up and down... you get the picture...

Love it!

I think this would make a beautiful 4th of July dessert, don't you?

If you ask me... all it is missing is whip cream. I CAN'T BELIEVE I forgot the WHIP CREAM!!!

This looks so good and cute, you should definitely add it here http://forblogs.blogspot.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-extravaganza.html I am going to have to try it. I love Cheesecake! Thanks for sharing! ♥ BJ

LOVE! I am doing an America the Beautiful series right now on my blog. I hope you will hop over and check it out! I know I have told you before but I love, LOVE your blog! So awesome!Jenni kissedbyafrog.blogspot.com

Hey! Thanks for linking up! Would you mind coming back real quick and linking this up again under "Recipes & Food"? I just changed my party and have a separate link now for recipes. Here's the link for ya: Hookin Up with HoH #54

Oh my goodness! Seriously?! Brownies & cheesecake?!! Yum! We found your blog through a linky party and are your newest followers! We would love for you to follow us, too! We have an awesome giveaway going on right now. Come check us out!

Oh my goodness this looks amazing! I am having a Red, White and Blue Linky Party and would love for you to stop by and join in!http://www.itsybitsypaperblog.com/2011/07/red-white-and-blue-linky-party.html

Subscribe by Email

Welcome!

Hi! I'm Rachel. I am thrilled to have you here. I am a crafty mom with a passion for teaching. You will find lots of inspiration on these pages, so give the kids a coloring book and take a look around!